Well packer



Mayls, 1943 D. BROOKSWRE 2,319,295

WELL PACKER Filed Aug. 12, 1941 manto 3 ehr Gttornegg.

Patented May 18, 14943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,319,295 v WELL PAOKER n Drake Brookshire, New Orleans, La. Application August 12, 1941, serial No. 4Q`f '.j,=$5ov 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in well packers and has for an object to provide an improved packer which will cooperate in an.

improved manner with the working barrel, which is Aa section of the tubing inside thewell casing` provide'V an improved well packerfin which the device becomes a part of the'working barrelfvis' normally lockedy out ofiioperationduring .the

lowering of the tubing, is' unlocked by'rotary'A motion of the 'barrel relative to the catching shoes, and is set by a dropping movement of the barrel relative to the segmental catching shoes.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particuarly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several vlews Figure 1 is a vertical section through a well casing showing a working barrel and the irnproved well packer carried thereby in an initial locked condition of the parts.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the unlocked condition of the parts ready for operation.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 with the parts dropped to partly-set position.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I designates generally a well casing into which the tubing is lowered, such tubing including in part the working barrel II.

Slidably and rotatively mounted upon the barrel II are segmental catching shoes I2 having barbs or friction points I3 for biting into the casing I0. The shoes I2 are carried by spring arms I4 from a collar I slidable and rotatable on the working barrel II.

A xed collar IB on the working barrel acts as a backing for the expansible packing I1. The cone or other packer I8 is slidable vertically on the working barrel Il but is held from rotation by the key I9. The-working -barrel carriesl one or more V-shaped spreaders 20 for cooperating with a V-cut or slot between adjacent segments' I2. The working barrel II carries a collar 22 as an integral part thereof on which the shoes are normally supported. f 1.

These shoulders 26 and 2l are disposed in the anl" nular path of the spreader 20 to limit the rotation of the barrel with reference to the shoes I2 without entraining the shoes I2 with the rotary motion of the barrel II.

In operation, Figure 1 shows the locked position of the parts in which the barrel I I has been rotated relatively to the shoes I2 to cause the spreader 20 to move towards the right against shoulder 26. Thus the shoe I2 is locked between the spreader 20 and the collar 22, both of which members are xed upon the working barrel II. In this position the tubing may be lowered without the catcher and the packer operating. In other words, the mechanism is locked so as to be inoperative.

In Figure 2 the parts are shown in unlocked position ready to pack and catch the tube should it be. allowed to fall. In this case the barrel II has been rotated to the left relatively to the catching shoe or shoes I2 until spreader 20 strikes shoulder 21 which will notify the operator above that the spreader 20 is now poised directly above the V-cut 2|.

The catching shoes I2 are prevented from rotating easily with the barrel II by the friction of the barbs I3 against the casing I0 caused by the light tension of the springs I4 holding such friction points I3 against the casing wall. While the function of the springs I4 is to bias the segments or shoes I2 to an inner contracted position, such inner position will be one in which the friction points I3 lightly touch upon the internal wall of the Well casing I 0.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 and the operator allows the casing to drop, due to the light friction pressure heretofore referred to the catching device I2 will retain its position while the barrel I2 drops therethrough carrying the spreader 20 down into the V-cut 2 I, causing the expansion of the segments I2 radially outward against the casing Il)` and thus setting the shoes in place for the heavier work .which must be done when the packing I1 descends upon the cone I8. As the packing I1 rides down over the cone surface I8, it is expanded outwardly against the wall of the casing I0 to seal oif the area below the packing I1 from that above in accordance with usual well practice.

The downward movement of the catching half sections is stopped by the fixed abutment collar 22 which may be an integral part of the barrell II.

The use of the words working barrel in the claims will be understood to mean any tube section or part capable of performing the operations stated.

It is obvious that various changes and modications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above. specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a well packer, a Working barrel or tube section, a packing thereon, expanding means through which the barrel may drop to cause riding of the packing out on said expanding means, said expanding means having a groove therein, catching sections having a substantially V-cut therebetween mounted adjacent said expanding means and having clamp means engaging said groove to permit said expanding means to rotate with respect to said catching means but to entrain the expanding means against axial motion with respect to the catching means during dropping movement of the barrel, a wedge spreader on said barrel moved by the barrel through said cut when the barrel is dropped, said spreader movable angularly with the barrel out of registering position with said cut to lock the barrel against relative axial movement with the catching means, an abutment fixed on the barrel below said catching means, and means on the barrel for lightly urging said catching sections out- Wardly.

2. In a well packer, a working barrel or tube section, a packing thereon, a cone expander keyed for rotation with the barrel and axially sliding movement thereon toward and from said packing, said expander having a cut-away portion opening through its lower edge and an annular groove intersecting the cut-away portion, toothed separable catching shoes on the barrel below the expander having a V-cut therebetween, substantially inverted L-shaped clamps upstanding from the shoes rotatably engaging in said groove, a stop shoulder on one section rising up at one side of said cut, a stop shoulder on the other section angularly displaced from said cut, a spreader wedge on the barrel received in said cut-away portion and adapted to enter said cut and being located in the annular path of said shoulders, an abutment ring fixed on the barrel below said catching sections, a spring ring slidable on the barrel below said abutment ring, and light spring arms extending up from said spring ring and engaging said catching shoes to urge the same lightly outward.

DRAKE BROOKSHI'RE. 

